October 13, 2026

Scientists describe 'D. rex,' a giant fungus from Chinese forests

Researchers named a new, very large wood-decaying fungus from forests in China. Its DNA suggests its family began about 65 million years ago, shortly after the dinosaur-era mass extinction.

Even well-studied groups of life still hold surprises, and new species hint at how forests recovered after past upheavals.

A news-site summary of a scientific description; the 65-million-year date is a DNA-based estimate.

A smartphone app lets epilepsy patients teach their monitor, cutting false alarms

In a small hospital study at the University of Pennsylvania, patients could ask an app about their own brain activity and label its seizure alerts as right or wrong. The detector learned from that feedback and its false alarms fell by about 80%.

Fewer false alerts could make seizure monitoring less stressful, and it points to devices that learn from the people who use them.

Small clinical study in a hospital setting; larger trials are still needed.

AI-assisted eye screening nearly doubled follow-up care for people with diabetes in Tanzania

In a trial of 2,378 people at 24 Tanzanian hospitals, those screened with AI support were far more likely to see a specialist within eight weeks (35.9% versus 18.2%) and got there about 26 days sooner.

Diabetes can quietly damage sight, and getting people to the eye clinic quickly is often what saves it.

Researchers note that screening only helps if specialist care and treatment are also available.

Prescribing gardening and birdwatching eased loneliness for a year in a Barcelona trial

In a randomized trial of 320 lonely older adults in low-income Barcelona neighborhoods, people who joined small nature groups or were given a menu of free outdoor activities both felt less lonely. Scores fell about 11% at three months and 17% after a year.

Loneliness harms health, and a simple, low-cost nudge outdoors with other people seems to help and to last.

Moviegoers raised $146,000 so a longtime theater worker can rest

A 21-year-old in Maryville, Tennessee, noticed an older woman named Mary cleaning up at her local cinema and started a fundraiser. It passed $100,000 on the first day, and Mary, who has worked in theaters for more than 45 years, thanked everyone who gave.

Noticing someone and acting on it turned one night at the movies into real security for a neighbor.

A Peterborough library group is passing out flower seeds and little notes against loneliness

Friends of Woodston Library launched Seeds of Friendship for October. People of any age can come to workshops, tuck an encouraging message into a packet of flower seeds, and hand it to a neighbor. The group hopes the seeds will be planted around the area and that the gesture itself will be a small reason to talk.

A seed packet with a note is an easy way to reach someone who might not ask for company.

The project has just started. The article describes the plan, not a measured change in loneliness.

Walker, Michigan, opens a library with a children's floor, a deck, and a podcast room

The City of Walker and Kent District Library set October 19 for the public opening of a new library of more than 20,000 square feet on Remembrance Road, between city hall and the police department. The building includes a hallway of local history, an outdoor plaza with space for a food truck, a second-floor deck, study rooms, a children's area, and a podcast studio. Mayor Gary Carey said a ribbon cutting was planned for 9:30 a.m., after which the doors open.

A library that is also a porch, a work table, and a kids' room gives a suburb more than one reason to come in out of the weather.

This is the city's announcement, posted October 13, of an opening set for today. It describes the building, not a report from after the ribbon was cut.